Paula Badosa closes in on big rankings breakthrough at French Open – and faces best friend next
Paula Badosa is closing in on a return to the top 100 of the WTA Rankings after a battling second-round win at the French Open.
Once ranked as high as world No 2, Spanish star Badosa has slumped down to 139th in the current rankings after repeated injury trouble since the start of 2023.
Badosa missed Roland Garros, the Australian Open, and the US Open last season due to back issues, while she retired injured from the only Slam she played – to Marta Kostyuk in round two at Wimbledon.
Despite a run to round three of the Australian Open this year, things have not looked much better for the 2021 Indian Wells champion this season.
Badosa has already retired from three matches in 2024 due to physical struggles and revealed earlier this year that she may only have three or four seasons left of her career.
Read More: ‘Scared’ Paula Badosa may only play ‘three, four more years’ due to injury nightmare as she sets rankings target
Speaking on the WTA Insider Podcast, she said: “We tried these injections of cortisone and they said this is the only option we can give you, and maybe you’ll have to keep doing that if you want to play for a few more years.
“I was like: ‘a few more years, I’m still 26.’ For me that was very tough and I’ll have to handle hard court especially, play less tournaments and all this.”
Early defeats in Stuttgart and Madrid saw her fall outside of the top 100, though a run to the fourth round of the Italian Open – where she lost to Coco Gauff – was encouraging.
And she has impressed so far at the French Open, with two battling victories.
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— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2024
She used all her clay court experience to edge past 26th seed Katie Boulter in round one, rallying from a set down – and a break down in both the second and third sets – to prevail 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.
Badosa then came through another tough contest in her second-round contest on Thursday against the in-form Yulia Putintseva – who had dispatched Sloane Stephens in less than an hour in round one.
The Kazakh claimed the opening set but Badosa again summoned all her fighting spirit to claim a 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 triumph.
Having skipped the tournament 12 months ago, a run to the third round sees her jump 24 spots in the WTA Live Rankings, sitting at 115th as things stand.
And victory in round three will see her provisionally move back inside the top 100, likely around world No 93.
However, that is by no means guaranteed, with a tough match against world No 2 Aryna Sabalenka next.
Sabalenka has looked in sublime form in Paris as she targets a second major title of 2024, and Badosa is no stranger to her: the two are incredibly close friends off the court.
The pair have already played twice this season, with Sabalenka first winning at the Miami Open – and then picking up an incredibly poignant victory via retirement in Stuttgart.
That match will take place on Saturday, likely on Court Philippe Chatrier.
